The president of the Tenerife Island Council and vice president, Rosa Dávila and Lope Afonso, respectively, have expressed their support on Wednesday for exploring negotiation as a solution to the structural issues afflicting the Adán Martín Auditorium. The auditorium, which had an initial budget that tripled to 74 million euros.
During a press conference to announce the decisions of the Government Council, Dávila admitted the state of decay of the cultural facility and explained the extension of the architect Santiago Calatrava’s deadline for defining the building’s rehabilitation. The extension was based on the judge’s recommendation. The Socialist Party (PSOE) sought explanations for this extension, which should have expired in January of this year, leading to additional costs.
The president expressed regret that the process was “stalled” in the previous term, contrary to the PSOE’s claims. She questioned why the socialists are now taking action after doing nothing over the past four years. The PSOE, however, stated that deadlines were set for the architect to present a repair plan, extended by a year under the new government led by Dávila.
Despite this, the president stressed that Calatrava was not sufficiently pressured in the previous term to present a rehabilitation proposal, something that has now been rectified. Lope Afonso also highlighted shortcomings in how the previous government handled various issues, suggesting negotiation could be a viable solution to the dispute involving the Cabildo, the Calatrava studio, and the construction company.
Cabildo technicians estimated the repair costs for 2022 to be around 24 million euros, necessitating a year-long closure for the work to be completed.
Call for Accountability from Calatrava by the PSOE
The PSOE revealed that during Pedro Martín’s term as the head of the corporation, it was agreed to hold Calatrava accountable and set a timetable for the work to be carried out.
However, with Rosa Dávila assuming the presidency, the new government group extended the architect’s deadline by twelve months and has not provided any explanations regarding additional measures taken to address the building’s condition.
The PSOE also recounted measures taken during Martín’s tenure to address the poor state of the Auditorium, including installing sensors to prevent mosaic detachment from the façade. They mediated between the parties to facilitate repairs and initiated claims against the architect, technical management, and construction firms when repair efforts proved futile.
